hockey The Top Hockey Goaltenders of All Time

Former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kirk McLean once said, "It's pretty tough for a goalie when you look at it. You're always the last line of defense. If you let a goal in, you can't go to the bench and hide between the guys or anything." While goaltending alone does not win games or championships, but it can be the difference between a win and an embarrassing loss. Certainly there has been some stellar goaltenders in the history of the NHL, but a select few stand above and beyond the rest.

Who are the greatest goalies of all time? Which goalkeepers have the most impressive records? There are plenty of amazing goalkeepers on this list and without them, their teams would be in trouble. The old NHL adage is that you're only as good as your goalie. Without some of the guys on this list, their teams would be at the bottom of the league, or at minimum, just an average squad. Vote for the top 10 NHL goalies ever.

Still active as a major-junior hockey coach, Patrick Roy's legacy rests on his stellar play with both the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche between 1985 and 2003. Like other top goaltenders, Roy holds a handful of NHL records including for playoff games played, playoff wins, playoff shutouts and Conn Smythe Trophy wins, earning the nod as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times. Though he's also remembered for perfecting the butterfly style of goaltending, Roy is also known for his physicality on and off the ice, fighting no less than two Detroit Red Wings netminders in the 1990s.

Patrick Jacques Roy is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender and the current head coach and Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. He is regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick", Roy split his playing ...more

Representing one of many Czech goaltenders, Dominik Hasek arguably earned his nickname as "The Dominator" through strong play with the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. Hasek set the bar for European goaltenders in the NHL, becoming the first European netminder to win the Stanley Cup and lead the league in goals against average. Compared to goaltenders of any background, his numbers were not too shabby either, including still leading the record books with a .922 career save percentage. Oh yeah, he also won the Vezina Trophy six times, the Jennings Trophy three times and both the Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award twice each.

Dominik Hašek is a retired Czech ice hockey goaltender. In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the ...more

The definition of a modern-day great goaltender, Martin Brodeur is not only a legend in New Jersey, where he's played for roughly two decades with the Devils, but around the world as well. Marty began his 19th season in the NHL in 2010 as the record holder of numerous league goaltending records. Five Jennings Trophies, four Vezina Trophies, three Stanley Cup rings, two Olympic gold medals and a Calder Memorial Trophy are just a sampling of his accomplishments. As if that was not enough, Brodeur can also score. He's just one of two who have put the puck in the opposing net both in the regular season and in the playoffs.

Martin Pierre Brodeur is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender and current advisor to the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-time players at his position. In his 21-season tenure with the New Jersey Devils, he won three Stanley Cup ...more

As one of only six players to have their jersey number retired by the Detroit Red Wings, Terry Sawchuck carried the Winged Wheel to three Stanley Cup championships in the 1950s and added a fourth with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1967. Though he played alongside the likes of Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe and Sid Abel, Sawchuk held his own in net. His record of 103 shutouts stood in the NHL for nearly 40 years and he took home no less than four Vezina Trophies along the way. Many would go so far as to say "The Uke" is the best goaltender to ever play in the NHL, including The Hockey News, who ranked him as the top netminder in their 1998 list of the greatest hockey players.

Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers. ...more

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